Avva's Tulasi pooja

So I am start to put up my photography. Hope you like it.

Here goes.



This is a series of 3 photos of my grandmother's morning routine and small conversation I have had with her during them. From when I was a kid I would always like to go hide and wait for the morning Tulasi pooja to be done. At the end of it I would steal the jaggery from her aarti plate and run as fast I could before I got caught. As I grew up the stealing stopped and the watching began.





The Lord likes colours.

Every morning she plucks flowers from our garden to offer to the Lord. She always gets equal parts of different colours. She laughed and told me when I asked her “ He might think he’s simple but I know he likes colours.”







Age lines
This Tulasi katte (brindawan) is as old as the house- 48yrs. Everyday she wipes it and puts kumkum and saffron on it. Like the lines that have grown on her so beautifully, the katte also has her gentle finger’s impression on them. Over time these lines only grow darker and deeper and stronger.






Same colour different form.
I am not too religious but I am on a path to understand spirituality. When I see the Tulasi plant and my grandmother next to each other they seem like reincarnates of each other. Tender, strong, nourishing, wise and they both have healing powers for one’s heart.

its been a while.

hello,

yes i know its been a while a month or so right?
well sooo much has happened in the last few weeks its  unbelievable. ill start with my story tomorrow! stay tuned. it ll be simple short and sweet.

but for today, i decided to say bye bye to my old checklist becasue its finally done and ive done more than everything on my checklist.
here's my post . a blod post a day. done!

A FESTIVAL and A SMALL PRAYER and A BEGINNING

We have a festival in India called Ganesha Chaturthi/Habba . It is a Hindu festival celebrated in honour of the god Ganesha. He is known as the remover of obstacles and the god of beginnings and wisdom. So from when I was a child whenever we celebrated this festival we’d keep a silver plate under the idol with a book or textbook of the toughest subject we had in school. Hoping ,you know, that he would remove it from our lives or ,like our parents would assume, we hoped to get better at it. It’s a simple tradition that gives us a little hope to get better at what we do each year, or a little boost of self confidence to help us overcome whatever ‘obstacle’ we are facing in our lives.

Im not a typical god believer but I do believe in the power of people and nature to change us when we let it. A little spiritual. I let feeling guide me. So I do partake in most of the festivals that happen in my house because I belive  that they bring us closer, give us a break in our mundane lives, they make us do small exercises that help us with so many things in our lives that we never realize. They give us hope when we are down. They make us realize we need to be grateful for people we are around. There are mantras and poojas that are performed in that I don’t know much about (but lately have ben a  little curious to learn) but feel like they bring some kind routine in our lives which I call stability. They also make you fit! I remember my feet were burning after sitting on the floor for just 30 mins. My grandpa and grandma used to sit on the floor for an hour when they were 90yrs and 80yrs- I just 24!  So basically ive had a bunch of realisations.

So I realized I need to be the remover of my obstacles and and needed a beginning with the little help of a little faith from the good in this world. It was a symbolic tradition that came to me at the right time in my life. I keep trying to start and I keep slowing down, but im not giving up, I just need to start doing.

When I did the pooja this time, I didn’t keep a book of the hardest subject in my life but I did  keep my camera battery and wrote a little prayer to myself  on a piece of paper. A small wish I made to myself to begin with even if its slow

GIVE ME THE STRENGTH TO LIVE OUTSIDE MYSELF 

AND

SEE PEOPLES STORIES AND CAPTURE THEM AND

MAKE IT THEIRS.

HELP ME UNDERSTAND HOW TO LOVE AND CHERISH AND BLOOM IN WHATEVER SURROUNDING I FIND MYSELF IN.

WHAT AM I DOING-                                                                                                                                      

on a yoga mat, sitting in the sun and soaking it all up. :)

The first follow up

So this is embarrassing. I’ve added two things and done only two of it all!!! I’ve got to get better. Slow start but ill make it better so this at least get a little more interesting.Well there’s one thing for sure, I feel a little lighter, feel like there is a little more power in myself and I’m finding myself during the day where I’m a little happier or lighter.

Even though most of the times I feel like a big pile of poop. Mainly because I let other peoples problems and moods affect me. People love loading their nonsense on everyone around them. I’m slowly and politely of loading it on the sidewalk and walking away from it and leaving it where it should be. Out of my home and me.

I’m going to finish this checklist so the next one can be little enjoyable. Yes.  

WHAT AM I DOING NOW:

this is different. sitting at a table with a book on the side and mug of milk.

no song today, just my thoughts.

CHECKLISTs

So I’ve made a checklist of things I need/want to do. So I am going to share that with you. Maybe it will motivate me to do all of them and help me want to make more and keep crossing those tasks off!! i know for sure that will be the most favorite part of it.

I should also let you know that I’m an architect and a photographer. So things on the checklist might not always make sense to you because they might just be names of people’s photos I need to edit or something of that sort.

I should have added one more thing. 

8) get off your bed!!!!!!!

WHAT AM I DOING?

theres nothing new- i'm here sitting on my bed.